Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, represents over 650 heart patients, from seniors to children, who received defective defibrillator leads manufactured by Medtronic Inc. Leads are thin insulated wires connected to a defibrillator that carry electric impulses to the heart.
The Medtronic Heart Lead Recall: Updated 2009
In October 2007, Medtronic issued a recall of its Sprint Fidelis heart lead. The device is a thin electrical cable that connects an implanted defibrillator to a patient's heart which were implanted in over 200,000 patients.
Medtronic has not disclosed the reason why its lead has failed. It has also downplayed the failure rate. An independent study released in February 2009 found the failure rate to be substantially greater than the rate reported by Medtronic. In March 2009, Medtronic disclosed that at least 13 Sprint Fidelis patients may have died, including four patients whose deaths were related to efforts by doctors to surgically remove the product.
Medtronic Heart Device Lawsuits
The Sprint Fidelis leads of many patients have fractured, resulting in them suffering repetitive and devastating electrical shocks. In lawsuits against Medtronic, patients represented by Lieff Cabraser have alleged that a design defect is responsible for their lead fractures. The complaints also allege that Medtronic failed to act timely as it knew of large numbers of failures of the device at least a year prior to issuing the recall.
For example, in March 2009, the New York Times reported that a preivously undisclosed FDA Report indicates that Medtronic began receiving reports soon after the Sprint Fidelis heart lead was introduced to the market in late 2004 that it was fracturing. The company also revised its manufacturing process in the months before withdrawing the Sprint Fidelis from the market.
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Contact A Medtronic Recall Personal Injury Attorney | Lawyer
If you or a loved one have suffered a serious injury that your physician has confirmed was caused by a faulty Medtronic lead wire, please click here to contact an experienced personal injury attorney at the national law firm of Lieff Cabraser or call us toll-free at 1-800-948-2181. Our personal injury attorneys and legal nurse consultants will promptly review your case without charge or obligation.
Lieff Cabraser has successfully represented hundreds of patients across America who received faulty or recalled medical devices, including implantable cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers.
